Rocky Beginnings
by Settiai
Summary: He wasn't ready for friendship just yet.


Title: Rocky Beginnings

Author: Settiai

Disclaimer: "Star Trek" and other related characters are all properties of Gene Roddenberry, Paramount, and other related corporations. No infringement is intended. This story, such as it is, was written as a sign of respect and love for the characters, the show, and their creator. I claim no ownership of the aforementioned show and characters.

Rating: PG

Explanation: This is my story for the Enterprise Ficathon on LiveJournal, and it was written for RoaringMice.

Summary: He wasn't ready for friendship just yet.

Feedback: Comments and helpful criticisms are **always** appreciated.

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Malcolm grimaced a bit as he pulled himself into a sitting position and glanced down at his thigh. Phlox had attached one of his creatures to the bloody bullet wound, despite -- or perhaps because of -- Reed's loud protestations, and then he had given the wounded man strict orders not to even attempt to remove the "bandage" until he returned.

He had let three hours pass without question, but now Malcolm had begun to suspect that the Denobulan was purposely taking his time because he knew just how much it would aggravate his patient.

Silently cursing Phlox for ordering him to stay in sickbay, Archer for ordering him to do what the doctor said, and the universe in general for sending that bullet through his thigh to begin with, Malcolm dropped back down on his back. A dull ache shot up his leg, forcing him to admit to himself that -- if nothing else -- Phlox's slug had managed to decrease the amount of pain from the wound considerably.

That didn't improve his mood.

Malcolm reluctantly closed his eyes and attempted to force his breathing into a regular pattern. If Phlox wasn't going to come back anytime soon, sleeping would most likely be the easiest way for him to pass the time.

"Hey."

Barely holding back a sigh, Malcolm reopened his eyes and glanced toward the doorway of sickbay. Trip and Hoshi were both standing there, staring at him looking almost as if they were… worried.

"Hello," Malcolm said, nodding in their direction as he pulled himself back up into a sitting position.

"Oh, you don't have to get up," Hoshi said quickly. "If you're tired, we can just…"

She made a few hand gestures that suggested they could leave, and Malcolm couldn't help but let a smile tug at the corners of his mouth. "It's fine," he said lightly. "I was just trying to pass the time until Phlox decided to come back."

The two of them exchanged a look that sent a wave of suspicion running through Malcolm's blood. Before he had a chance to find out exactly what they were hiding, though, Trip grinned widely and walked over to his bed.

"Hoshi and I," Trip paused for just a second and motioned for her to follow him, which she did with some reluctance. Once she was standing beside him, he tried again. "Hoshi and I ran into each other in the mess hall, and we decided that it would be a good idea to stop by sickbay."

Malcolm silently prayed that neither of them would notice the unsettled look that he knew had appeared in his eyes. Even after calling Enterprise home for over two months, the informal manner of the crew still unnerved him.

"Why exactly are the two of you here?" he asked, a hint of uncertainty in his voice.

Hoshi gave him an incredulous look. "You got shot," she said, as if that explained everything.

Malcolm returned her gaze. "You don't say," he replied dryly.

"There's no need to get snippy," Trip broke in, raising an eyebrow. "We just thought that we'd come see how you were do… what the hell is that?"

Malcolm followed Trip's gaze, barely restraining a groan when he saw that the sheet had slipped off of his leg.

"It looks like a worm," Hoshi said, a tinge of curiosity in her voice. "Or a leech."

"It's some sort of slug that Phlox keeps for a pet," Malcolm said tiredly. "He claims that it will help close the wound faster."

If it had been any other time, Malcolm might have been amused by the completely flabbergasted looks on both of their faces. As it was, though, he mostly felt irritation at having to be seen in such a state.

Malcolm forced a weak smile to his lips, tearing his eyes away from the creature attached to his leg and looking back up at Trip and Hoshi. "What gave the two of you the idea to come… visit me?"

Trip kept staring at the slug for a moment before he realized that Malcolm was talking to him. "We, uh… we were in the mess hall earlier, and we ran into…" Trip trailed off, and his eyes suddenly lit up as if he had just realized something important. Hoshi looked in his direction, raising her eyebrow just a tiny bit.

Malcolm merely breathed a sigh of resignation. "Phlox?" he asked.

Hoshi's eyes widened, and she made a quiet sound that sounded almost like "meep." Trip, on the other hand, nodded sheepishly. "He wanted an excuse not to come back and take that thing off of you, didn't he?"

"Most likely," Malcolm agreed. "Though I'm not entirely certain whether it's because he wants to study its results on humans and is using me as a guinea pig--"

"Or if he's just figured out the easiest way to get under your skin?" Trip cut in.

When he saw the look on Malcolm's face, Trip quickly put a very fake-looking smile on his face and grabbed Hoshi's arm. "Come on, let's give Lieutenant Reed a rest," he said, giving her a pointed look.

Hoshi glanced at Malcolm, wincing at the irritated expression on his face. "I'm sure it's not either of those reasons," she said softly. "Phlox probably just… um…"

Trip didn't give her a chance to finish before he began steering her toward the door, giving Malcolm a sympathetic look as he did.

As he watched them leave, Malcolm shook his head. Even though he had slowly been getting to know them over the past few months, it had been in a strictly professional manner. It was obvious that they expected more of him, though, most likely due to the captain's lax attitude toward the military rules that had been intertwined with Malcolm's life for as long as he could remember. But he wasn't ready for that, not yet.

Still… even he couldn't claim to know what the future might hold.


End file.
